1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for attaching devices to a stand (hereinafter "I.V. stand") used for supporting various types of bags or bottles holding liquids for intravenous delivery to a patient. More particularly, the present invention relates to a universal mounting system which allows for quick, one-handed attachment and release of various I.V. devices to an I.V. pole, where the I.V. pole may be of varying configurations, including different sizes, shapes and orientations.
2. Background Art
One of the more basic tools used in a medical environment is an I.V. stand. The typical I.V. stand is comprised of an elongated member, or pole, which may be oriented either vertically or horizontally, and may additionally have any one of a variety of cross-sectional geometric shapes, including round, hexagonal or square. The pole is placed upon and supported by a base plate or pedestal. Typically, I.V. devices such as supply bags or bottles of an I.V. liquid--normally blood, saline solution, or medication--are attached to the I.V. pole. These liquids are then delivered via a thin tube to a patient who is in a bed adjacent the I.V. stand.
As medical technologies and treatment techniques have advanced, there are an increasingly large number of I.V. liquids that must be delivered to a patient. As such, there are often additional devices that must be attached to the I.V. stand to manage, control, measure, and/or monitor the delivery of these various liquids. One such device is referred to as a manifold which provides for the selective intravenous delivery of any one of a variety of fluids to a patient through a single delivery tube. Another such device is known as a multi-catheter organizer. This device is designed to attach to an I.V. stand and allow for the attachment of numerous catheter tubes in a collective and orderly fashion.
In order to minimize equipment costs and increase flexibility of use, these devices are typically required to be adaptable for use with various types of I.V. stands. In recognition of this, such devices have typically been mounted on an I.V. pole by way of a clamping assembly. However, there are several disadvantages inherent in the currently available clamping assemblies.
Often, these clamping assemblies are capable of attachment to the I.V. stand in only one position. Thus they may not be used interchangeably between a horizontally disposed I.V. pole and a vertically disposed I.V. pole. Similarly, these clamping assemblies are often limited as to the size and/or shape of the I.V. pole to which they can attach. While a clamp on a clamping assembly may be capable of attaching to a round I.V. pole, it may not be capable of attaching to a hexagonal, or square shaped pole. Similarly, these clamps are often limited to specific widths or diameters of poles to which they can properly attach. Each of these limitations restricts the adaptability and limits the usefulness of the clamping assembly.
Another and more substantial drawback of the currently available clamping assemblies is the inability to quickly attach and detach the various types of devices to the I.V. stand. Typically, these clamping assemblies utilize a "U" or C-shaped rigid clamping member in conjunction with a clamping screw that must be tightened or loosened by hand in order to clamp, or unclamp such a device as a manifold, catheter organizer or the like to an I.V. pole. The disadvantage of this configuration is the inherent difficulty of being able to quickly and firmly attach a device to the I.V. pole. Medical personnel are often required to quickly remove and attach various kinds of devices to an I.V. pole, especially in a hurried medical situation. The current clamping assemblies require an undue amount of time and difficulty to operate them. With clamping assemblies common in the prior art, a user must use both hands, one to grasp the clamp or pole while loosening or tightening the clamp's bolt or screw with the other hand, which proves to be slow and cumbersome. Also, it is difficult to hang an I.V. device, such as a catheter organizer, and attach it to or remove it from an I.V. stand while at the same time adjusting the clamping assembly's bolt. Often, this will undesirably result in the catheter organizer, or similar I.V. device, being dropped on the ground.
An additional disadvantage to clamping assemblies currently in use is that how securely a device is held is entirely dependent on the user sufficiently tightening the clamping bolt. Insufficient tightening may result in the device falling off the I.V. stand. Over-tightening results in adding difficulty when subsequently untightening to remove the device, and may even result in damage to the device, which is often constructed out of plastic materials.